Maverith Telloran
A daughter of the Island State, Mother Maverith Hohenheim, 'née Telloran, carries with her always the resilience and determination of the people of her homeland. Small in stature, she makes up for her frail constitution with an unwavering resolve to pursue her callling as a healer and to live her life by the tenets of the Church of the Holy Light. ---- Description Everything about Maverith speaks of order. From the stiffly pressed robes to the closely clipped fingernails, her appearance points to a great need for discipline. Her long thick dark locks are usually tied away from her face in either a neat ponytail or bun. She has grey eyes, delicate features and her slightly darker complexion reveals that she has spent a lot of time outdoors in recent times. She is of small stature and may seem frail at first glance. She always carries a weathered green leather satchel that appears to be overflowing with plants of all sorts. History Maverith Isobel Telloran was born in Boralus, Kul Tiras. She is the younger of two children, born to a wealthy cloth merchant. Her childhood, in spite of the comforts and privileges it afforded, was not the kind you read about in fairy tales. Her absent father was more interested in profit than his family, and her mother was a strict disciplinarian with a devotion to the Light bordering on zealotry. Her brother rebelled against tradition and refused to continue the family business. Maverith does not have a defiant nature. She submitted to her mother’s wishes and began studying in order to enter the priesthood. Her peaceful existence was shaken when her father uprooted and moved his entire family to Stormwind to seek new opportunities for his business. Boralus had long been in decline and was quite dangerous. Much of the capital was abandoned, the derelic buildings claimed by pirates and other shady characters. It wasn’t long before her father moved again to find more fortune, however. This time he went to Kalimdor, using Theramore as a home base to expand his business. Her mother did not follow, preferring to stay in the Eastern Kingdoms with her children. A native of Lordaeron, Maverith's mother longed for the day she could return home and refused to leave the continent again to follow a man with whom she had little left to share. Her father left alone for Theramore. She would never see him again. Maverith settled in Stormwind with the conviction that she would live a quiet life insidethe protective walls of Northshire Abbey. She happily worked in the abbey’s gardens where she found she had an affinity for plants and the Light guided her towards her calling as an herbalist. She lived in blissful seclusion until the day everything changed. She heard of the destruction of Theramore while attending liturgy in the Cathedral of Light. The shock and the horror of this calamity were almost too much to bear. Her father was not among the few survivors who made it back. Her personal tragedy combined with the righteous anger that filled her, awakened a new purpose. She could no longer be content with the existence of contemplation she had chosen for herself and embarked on a journey towards a truly worthy life of service. She would honor the loss of Theramore by using her faith and her skills to serve so this would never happen again. Education ''"The art of healing comes from nature and not from the physician. Therefore, the physician must start from nature with an open mind." -Paracelsus Like a majority of priests with a blessed connection to the Light, Mother Maverith is trained in the healing arts. She can invoke the benevolent touch of the Light through prayers of healing to help mend tissues and bones, and ease pain and suffering. Her years of prayers and meditation within cloister walls have helped her develop a strong ability to focus and reach deeply within herself to call on the powers of the Light to heal others. At the abbey, she began studying anatomy and medicine under the guidance of her mentors. She honed her Light blessed healing abilities and also developed a strong interest in conventional medicine, especially in the area of herbal remedies. She sought the guidance of master herbalists such as Tannysa in Stormwind and Dorothy Egan in Dalaran. She joined several expeditions to explore the flora of remote areas including the recently discovered continent of Pandaria. She also completed master level studies in alchemy to further her understanding of herbal cures. Her interest in herbal medicine also prompted her to engage in scholarly pursuits and encouraged by her teachers and mentors, she edited and submitted for publication, a book of medicinal plants and their uses . She is currently working on adding a chapter about the flora of the newly found continent of Pandaria. Her work with medicinal plants has been the main focus of her practice as a healer and she developed a specific meditation imagery to channel the Light’s healing energy into her elixirs and potions. She first did it as a simple blessing for her remedies but realized quickly that infusing certain concoctions with the Light's essence increased their potency significantly. Her research in the combination of Light healing with medicinal alchemy is ongoing. Personality Mother Maverith feels the visceral loathing for the Orcs that lies at the heart of the collective Kul Tiran psyche. IIt is a deeply rooted emotion that is at the source of her difficulty with the important Church tenets of compassion and respect and has been the main obstacle in her journey towards ordination. Her temperament has also been shaped by her upbringing on Kul Tiras. Although, the quiet life she led would suggest a tempered disposition, her spirits can prove as volatile as the changing moods of the isle of her childhood. Usually quiet and calm like the sea on a clear day, her temperament can turn stormy and violent as the ocean tempests that ruthlessly assault the shores . It is a a trait she struggled to overcome in order to honor her vows and her commitment to the Light. The years she spent in reclusion did much to shape her personality however, fostering a leaning towards stillness. Maverith must therefore constantly challenge herself to take proactive approaches to the events and situations she faces out in the world. Faith The path that led Maverith into the priesthood was not one of her own choosing initially. Although raised in a pious household, she did not feel any particular inclination toward ecclesiastical life. She entered the abbey at age fourteen at the behest of her mother, a faithful follower of the Light whose strict adherence to the precepts of the Church of the Holy Light had ruled Maverith’s entire existence. To her surprise, Maverith found that monastic life agreed with her nature. The routines of the abbey had a soothing effect on her. There was a certain contentment to be found in a contemplative life. The removal of her mother’s overbearing influence was also deliverance. Away from her controlling parent, she came to terms with her own faith and beliefs. Her path within the Faith became clear. She had been blessed with a strong ability to heal and her connection to the Light deepened through this purpose. She doubted she would ever excel at proselytizing or rise to prominence within the Church but she knew she had a calling to tend to the sick and the suffering. Maverith completed her formal training under the mentorship of Father Thomas Hohenheim and was ordained priestess of the Church of the Holy Light, on February 16 of the year 34 L.C. She was assigned to serve the Church and the First Regiment within the Order of Saint Isaac and the Chapelry of Westridge. Service '''Brotherhood of Silver The destruction of Theramore was a turning point in the life of the young priestess. The tragic event made her come to the realization that she had lived too long in denial of the turmoil of the world around her, safely ensconced in her contemplative life. She wanted to serve and to offer her healing skills to a worthy cause but her existence as a cloistered sister had not been conducive to forming relations that would help her find her place among the fighting classes. The Light always finds a way however. She was hiking in Elwynn Forest to collect plants for remedies when she came upon a small tower on the border leading into Westfall. Men at arms were training in the courtyard. Their numbers were few but they trained with heart and dedication. Maverith felt drawn to the small building. She approached the entrance and saw an announcement pinned on a large wooden board. She read the parchment with great interest. Following in the tradition of the legendary Brotherhood of the Horse, the Brotherhood of Silver, under the leadership of Regg Corinthal, was looking for able bodied men and women to protect the Kingdom of Stormwind. They were also looking for dedicated healers to tend to the soldiers and the people they were sworn to protect. She enlisted without hesitation. The Brotherhood is gone now but Mother Maverith will always remember the small whitewashed stone tower fondly. The Light’s presence warmed the hearts of the valiant men and women who inhabited it and she owes them a debt of gratitude for their warm welcome and the knowledge and experience they shared with her. The Seventh Vanguard Determined to achieve her goal of becoming a battlefield healer, Maverith joined a strict military organization to further her training and hone her skills. She enlisted in the Seventh Vanguard, hopeful that their purpose and discipline would foster the development of her abilities, especially in regards to physical fitness and stamina. She also thought that their naval tradition would be a good fit for her. The island dweller in her always felt comfortable on the water. Her hopes to become a competent frontline healer were put on hold however when she sustained a serious leg injury during a battle against Kor'Kron Orcs near Honor's Stand in the Southern Barrens. Her leg required extensive healing and rehabilitation. Her first and only battle as an active member of the Vanguard was a disaster and Maverith still feels the sting of her ineptitude. The condition of her leg did improve but she was left with a slight limp and it was uncertain how long the injury would take to heal completely. With a heavy heart, she handed her resignation from the regiment. This decision was motivated by the need to focus her energy on getting better. She also recognized her lack of the necessary aptitudes to be a competent healer within a military organization that required physical endurance beyond what she could realistically achieve. She spent some time in Dalaran to study and rest. The First Regiment The priestess returned from Dalaran, disenchanted and still nursing her wounded leg. In her disappointment, she considered rejoining the contemplative clergy for a while. She decided against it and joined the First Regiment of the Stormwind Army as a chaplain instead. She resolved to contribute her healing skills and provide spiritual guidance and comfort to the serving soldiers in a non-combat role. She finally admitted to herself, somewhat reluctantly, that this was more suited to her frail constitution. Maverith found great satisfaction in serving within the clerical corps of the Regiment. In her new capacity as a military chaplain, she also came to the realization that perhaps she might have been too hasty in dismissing her formative years within the Church.This is when she resolved to resume her journey towards ordination. Chapelry of Westridge and Order of Saint Isaac Following her ordination, Mother Maverith was called to serve as Curate of the Chapelry of Westridge by Duke Maxen Montclair. She accepted the appointment and also continued to serve as a Regiment chaplain. Her duties as curate extended to providing guidance and mentorship in the training of the aspirants of the Order of Saint Isaac, in collaboration with the knight paladin overseeing their trials, Dame Meriliah Forger the Brave. The posting in Westridge was particularly meaningful to her. The parish had been blessed by the presence of Saint Caspius Greenleaf himself. During his pastoral service there, he rebuilt the parish and his extraordinary work laid the foundation for the Chapelry's rebirth. The connection to Westridge was deeply personal for Maverith also because this is where her late friend, Mother Shara Adelie Greenleaf, began her vocation within the Church. Maverith hoped that her work in Westridge would honor her memory. Her stay at the Chapelry was short however. She resigned her position when it became clear to her that the clergy of the Order of Saint Isaac and the medics of the Regiment’s medical corps could take care of the spiritual and healing needs of the Chapelry without her guidance. She felt she was no longer needed in Westridge and hoped that the Church would have use for her in another capacity. With one last prayer for the brave men and women of the Regiment, she left the serene abbey in the fields of lavender. Maverith’s hasty departure from Westridge was the first truly impulsive act she had committed in a long while.It was born of frustration and she realized that her impatience would probably cause the authorities of the Church to be thoroughly annoyed with her. She could not wait for an answer to the plea to be recalled she had sent. She handed over her resignation from her post in Westridge and rode back to Stormwind. The priestess was ready to defend her decision to leave. Although her motives would most likely appear selfish to the Bishop and perhaps even childish, she was convinced that it was for the best. The Duke had expectations of the leader of the Chapelry that she knew she could not meet. She was not a soldier; she was not a battle cleric. Light knows she had tried. She was too small, too frail, untrained and ill-prepared to lead others. The shame of it was difficult to bear, so she ran. She ran back to the bosom of the Church to seek answers, a new purpose and the courage to rise above the crushing feeling of defeat to serve the Light as she was meant to do. The warning her strict mother gave her when she accepted the assignment came back to her as she rode her horse at a breakneck speed towards Stormwind. “''To pretend to be something you are not in the name of Faith, will only cause you to fail in your service of the Church and disgrace you before the Light.”'' How prophetic these words turned out to be. Personal Life & Relationships Family Maverith maintains a difficult relationship with her mother. Mother and daughter do not see eye to eye in matters of Faith and the path Maverith has chosen for herself. The young priestess is finally rebelling against the stifling expectations of her strict parent and their encounters usually end in stormy arguments. In spite of their numerous differences of opinions notably regarding Maverith's choices in her personal life, the priestess does her best to nurture their bond. Longing to find a meaningful family connection, the young priestess has recently made efforts to establish a relationship with her cousin Dame Aelindel Beltis, the daughter of her mother's older sibling. The admiration she initially felt for this long lost relative is slowly turning to resentment however, as Maverith realizes that her cousin shares her mother's rigid and orthodox perspective on faith. She shrugs off her cousin's overprotectiveness and quietly delights in frequent attempts to shock and irritate her. Thomas and Sophie: an unexpected blessing Maverith‘s relationship to her tempestuous ordination sponsor, Father Thomas Hohenheim, deepened into a close friendship after her ordination. Their rapport strengthened over time and there were even hints of a budding romance but Maverith felt hesitant and kept him at arm’s length. Thomas‘s regard for Maverith prompted him to introduce her to his infant daughter, Sophie. The priestess quickly developed a deep affection for the little girl. This attachment did not go unnoticed by Thomas and he entrusted Maverith with the care of his child if anything should happen to him. This solemn request would turn out to be an ominous one as Thomas disappeared shortly after that fateful discussion. Weeks went by and her hope to ever see him again dimmed and regret threatened to overwhelm her. She feared she would never have the chance to tell him how much he meant to her. Search parties were sent out but nothing came of them. Finally the Light heard her prayers and she received word that he had been seen, bloodied and beaten, but alive. Their reunion was filled with the intensity of their previously unspoken feelings for each other. They were quietly married in the Twilight Grove in Duskwood, where they first fell in love watching over a little girl sleeping in a small oak crib. They welcomed their first child, a son they named Benedict, on December 14, 34 L.C. Category:Characters Category:Human Category:Tirasian Category:Priests Category:Church of the Holy Light Category:Clergy of the Holy Light